carry on
by pennydumb
Summary: "Hanji." "Hm?" "I may bend but I won't break." "Hm?" "You can lean on me."


**carry on**

* * *

If Levi hadn't notice the door to the commander's office was left open, he would never realize that Hanji's been out of sight.

Normally, he didn't search for people. He let them find him. He didn't like putting his nose into other people's business. If people wanted to talk, he'd let them talk. Although he knew it to himself that he's neither the talking type nor the people-person type. He's just... his own type.

But since it was the commander of the Survey Corps that have been missing, he can't help but to be a little more watchful towards Hanji and all of her actions. Before now, the last time he'd seen her, she was busy having a talk with her previous squad. He did overheard the conversation but he didn't mind listening further. Hanji had to promote somebody from her previous squad to take over her position as their leader.

He could guess just so perfectly that nobody was probably in their celebratory mood to welcome a new captain. The whole legion never had the chance to be in any upbeat mood to honor and celebrate Hanji's step up in the ranks. And ever since she got into her new position, Levi noticed that something apparently changed.

He decided to go upstairs. If Hanji would ever go and start missing again, everybody would do the same thing. Everyone knew that the last floor contained the laboratory. Hanji could get lost anywhere else in the headquarters, but not in her own lair.

Levi wasn't wrong. But what he found was what surprised him.

All the lights were out, and there was a lone figure sitting against the floor in the middle of the apparent darkness. When Levi opened the huge doors into the light shining from the hallway, that seemed to catch the figure's attention.

Levi met her eyes in the dark.

"Levi?" she spoke, a silent sniffle can be heard.

He didn't answer. He let go of the door handles and slightly leaned against one, crossing his arms loosely.

They fell into a pregnant silence as they both waited for each other to utter another known word. Levi has no problem about being quiet. Hanji probably needed it most in times like this. She will have to talk while he stayed quiet. He didn't necessarily have to listen, he just had to be there and pretend like he does. Or he could pretend like he's listening too. But Hanji had to keep in mind that he doesn't advise others to do the best and not do the worst. He could suggest her to give up being the Commander and request for the people in the higher ups to look for a more suitable one than her. Then he can punch her in the face for even thinking about considering the possibility of it.

Levi was the indirect type of person.

And Hanji wasn't dumb to just stay there, sitting in a very gloomy place, while the guy waited for her to do something. Was he searching for her? It wasn't that she was hiding from anybody. But if you're sad and feeling hopeless, and you know lots of people are looking up at you, you can't let them down.

Levi saw her standing up and slowly ambled her way towards his direction. His eyes were bored as hell as they watched her struggle. She passed by him and their shoulders brushed. She stopped moving and let out a breathy sigh. She started leaning against the other side of the door.

Levi's eyes roamed the dark room. While Hanji had to rub her eyes several times to get used to the sudden light coming from the hallway.

"You could've just barge into my office and start talking about it," he finally said.

"You weren't even there when I did," Hanji's voice was a bit hoarse.

"I was busy cleaning," he paused, "And what's wrong about it? You always do that with or without my permission. Whether I'm in there or I'm at somewhere else."

She let out a small chuckle, "Why do you sound like you're trying to give me a reason, Levi?"

"I'm telling you there's a better place to be all like this," he tried not to bring his hand up and gesture Hanji's current situation, "Look at you. You look like shit."

"You mean, I can feel and look like shit in your office?"

"Damn right."

"That's comforting."

"Better than this disgusting place you used to work at," Levi switched his feet and leaned on the other one, "And the commander's office doesn't look any better."

He could feel Hanji nodding to his statement, "I couldn't even get a good night's sleep when I'm in there."

It sounded like there's something more to what she said so Levi remained quiet.

"Like, you know. It doesn't feel like it's mine now. We used to go there and talk about expeditions and other stuff with Miche and Erwin and the rest of the other captains. We could barely even get a chance to stay in there for more than twenty minutes because Erwin was so privacy-minded. That's the commander's office for you. It's like, it holds all of the secrets of all the past commanders of the Survey Corps," Hanji paused and bit her lower lip, "And sometimes, it feels like Erwin's still there, sitting on his desk. Watching me as I go around doing all the stuff that he was supposed to be doing. I can feel him staring so I'd force myself awake. I can feel him shaking his head so I'd pressure myself to do better. I can feel him talking about this and that so I'd try and comply to his every command."

A bulb that was hanging from the ceiling started flickering so Hanji's eyes began darting towards it. Levi's eyes were still fixated in the darker room.

"Sounds like Erwin's ghost is haunting you."

Levi wasn't joking. He was never the joker type. But the way that he said it made it so hard for Hanji to keep her gloomy mood anymore. It's like, Levi's very sudden appearance earlier made all of her negativity away. He emitted no physical positivity, so she can't have it.

But the thought that he was there and he was probably looking for her earlier, put a small and aching smile on her face. In times like this, everybody will do the same. But Levi's not like everybody and she thought that was what makes this so special.

"Hanji."

"Hm?"

"I may bend but I won't break."

"Hm?"

"You can lean on me."

She looked at him, "That's nice to hear, Levi."

Levi did cringe while saying it. But a part of him felt reassurance when she finally looked at him. Another reason to continue his stare in the dark.

He eventually got tired of standing and lightly pushed himself off of the door. He slid his hands into his empty pockets. One moment he turned away from her and started walking off.

He stopped and half-glanced at her. She perked up and was about to say something next when he spoke.

"Only this once, I'd let you drink in my cup. Till you feel better."

"Until I feel better?" her face seemed to lit up.

The lights above flickered once again.

"Yeah, and let's invite Ghost Erwin in."

* * *

_A/N: I own nothing but the mistakes._


End file.
